“It is no small thing to build a new world, Gentlemen.” These are Benjamin Franklin’s words in John Adams, the powerful historical mini-series chronicling the birth and infancy of our nation. Truly it was no small thing when the members of the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Knowing they were about to embark on an adventure that would cost them dearly, they concluded the document with these words, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
The new world these men pledged to build would be birthed in “blood, sweat and tears.” With agony, frustration, doubt, bickering, disagreement, anger, fear, worry, pain, betrayal, courage, bravery and sheer determination the leaders of our nation set about giving form to “their ideal government” of free men. The liberated and independent country they envisioned had never before been known on earth! To their advantage, the American Colonies were well endowed with rich farms and prosperous communities, even cities; in comparison with much of the rest of the world, including England, Americans were becoming rich. On the other hand, they were facing the supreme military power in the world at that time, Great Britain. In defiance of the odds, this militarily insignificant group of colonies demanded more than just equality under British law … they demanded Independence! That July day they had no army, no navy, no government, no allies, no unanimous loyalty, no proven national leaders, no facilities, no financial reserves, etc. … yet they took on the most powerful nation in the world … and won! Even more amazing, a large portion of the American population didn’t want it to happen. Thousands declared themselves to be loyalists to the British government, or Tories, and actually fought with the English against the vision of the Founders!
Being men of reality and understanding, they realized that this dream could only come about if they covenanted together, fought and died together, sacrificed together and overcame their differences together. As much as they wanted independence from England they needed interdependence among themselves to achieve it. Their wonderful blend of freedom and dependence is magnificently stated in the Declaration of Independence and our American Constitution. The roots of these revolutionary documents are a balance of secular “enlightenment” thought and the truth realities expressed in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Our Lord Himself tells us that He came to make mankind free, free to be part of the Father’s family and to break free from the world’s tyranny of idols and illusions: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:35-36). The same thought is echoed in the words of the Apostle Paul: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Let me confidently state that the United States would never have come into being had our Founding Fathers sought to have built it on the Koran rather than the Scriptures of Moses and Jesus!
Just as the colonists set about building a nation of free men, the Lord Jesus preceded them by coming to earth to build a worldwide family of free human beings. Their gender, color, employment, heritage, nationality or any other distinction created by human thinking or natural consequences was a secondary consideration! Think about another “Declaration” of our Lord’s purpose in the story of another seeker after Truth. This man, named Nicodemus, was a religious leader yet still did not comprehend the relationship of the natural and the supernatural!
One thing you can be sure of, controversy always sprang up easily when Jesus spoke out against the legalistic leaders of the Jews. But not all those leaders were indifferent to His words. One man who was eager to know more was Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a member of the ruling Jewish council. He came under the cover of night to the Master to ask the questions that had pricked his mind for a long time. He understood that the miracles Jesus performed could only be done by a Man of God. Yet he was confused and unsure of the message and the Man Who delivered it. This was not the teaching of the established experts. Jesus spoke, not with “degreed learning” but with “convicting authority.” He made statements, like “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nicodemus’ mind refused to step outside the box and see the point the Teacher was making. At the end of the interview Jesus gave him, and us, His own “Declaration of Independence”:
“I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness, (for the people to look and be healed) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not waste away to nothing but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of God's one and only Son. This is the final verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:12-21
These words and their full meaning are too exalted and deep for our tiny minds and hearts. Yet we do comprehend enough of their truth to be compelled to seek the hope of greater things. We too, like our Founding Fathers, can see the great beginning and hope of a still unrealized America … and we too “still press on!” The Founders of our country had this great “Declaration of True Freedom” to undergird their understanding and commitment as they crafted a new nation that would “… establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity …” (preamble of The Constitution of the United States).
We are exceedingly blessed to live in the United States, the country that came out of the Declaration of Independence presented to its citizens that July of 1776. We enjoy and prosper from the benefits of our heritage of freedom as Americans. As we celebrate the birth of our nation this coming weekend, our major emotions should be reflection and gratitude. Let us recall again the words of The Signers and join afresh in their resolve! “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
No nation on earth has ever brought more peace, prosperity, liberty and opportunity to its people than the United States of America. Our system of government, freedom, power and benefits is the most successful in history for the maximum number of its citizens. Truly, our Founding Fathers and our Founding Generation have been our greatest friends in giving us our way of life. If our hearts are noble, the choices before us are clear. We, too, must mutually pledge anew in our current crisis our reliance on God. We, too, must mutually pledge to others our fortunes, our honor and, if necessary, our lives!
“… greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends!” The Lord Christ in John 15:13
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